Have You Expanded Your Diabetes Know-how To Include Glucagon?
A silent and deceptive modern-day killer, diabetes is also one of the most widespread chronic diseases, which claims millions of victims every year. However, the most dangerous facet of diabetes, which is responsible for a majority of diabetes-related deaths, is the skewed awareness that has spread amongst much of the global populace, which often results in them regarding and even treating this disease with a stilted perspective. And hence, educating yourself about the basics of diabetes and what you can do to protect yourself from its onslaught, may often be the fine dividing line between deeming yourself a victim, and proclaiming yourself a victor over this disease.
Given the popular definition of diabetes, most individuals are lead to believe that keeping their blood glucose as low as possible is all that is needed to keep the disease for maturing into its more severe stage. However, the lesser known fact behind this fallacy is that extremely low blood-glucose levels can be every bit as dangerous as very high blood-glucose, bringing forth a host of symptoms like weakness, nausea and even coma. This condition, where the body is literally starved of glucose is termed as hypoglycemia one of the most pertinent and dangerous of the many aspects of diabetes. And thus, it is not arbitrarily low blood-glucose that determines a healthy and complication-free condition, but maintaining the level of sugar in your blood within the prescribed range that steers you away from delving into the disease-infested waters that shroud diabetics all over the world.
Insulin, a hormone secreted by the beta cells of your pancreas, plays a very significant role in helping you control your blood glucose. This hormone reacts to any rise in the glucose levels in your blood, especially after meals, and notifies the cells of your body so that they can break down this glucose into energy to replenish themselves. This process brings down the levels of glucose in your blood, thus preventing it from causing any further damage to your body. The liver is also employed at this stage, storing energy in the form of glycogen for your muscles and organs to utilize at a later stage.
When the glucose levels in your blood dip abnormally low, your pancreas secretes yet another hormone which to stabilize them by actually increasing the amount of glucose in your blood stream. This hormone is secreted by the alpha cells in the pancreas and is called glucagon. Individuals who suffer from Type 1 Diabetes are known to have a deficiency of not just insulin, but also glucagon and so, when confronted with either too little or too much glucose in their blood, are unable to regulate it within the medically prescribed range.
While a steady supply on insulin is essential to keep your blood glucose well within your control, glucagon is only administered as a correctional measure after hypoglycemia is detected in the individual. Glucagon is administered via Glucagon Emergency Kits which contain an inert solution-filled syringe and a vial of crystallized glucose. These kits are available at most pharmacies and once used, can help moderate your blood glucose levels within 5 minutes. The syringe first has to be injected into the vial, to allow the glucose crystals to dissolve. This solution this then drawn back into the syringe once the glucose has completely disbanded into the solution.
The glucose solution can be injected just under the skin or directly into muscle tissue. Always remember to have the person administering glycogen turn you over to your side in case of vomiting, to keep you from choking on your vomit. Also, the amount of glycogen to be administered varies from person to person, as well as on the severity of the hypoglycemia and hence, you may even require two or more doses before your blood glucose stabilizes.
Glucagon, though a remarkably effective solution to hypoglycemia, also needs to be followed up with other curative measures to maintain the stabilizing effect glucagon brings about. This would include eating a carbohydrate-dense meal or snack as soon as possible and keeping a constant watch over your glucose levels to prevent an immediate relapse. Diabetes treatment need not necessarily be the long-drawn and excruciating process it is made out to be. with a few, well-informed measures, your management program will soon transform into just another aspect of your daily routine, leading you to a long and fulfilling life!
Julia Hanf author of the book How To Play the Diabetes Diet Game and Win Through a real life crisis Julia figured out how to live diabetes free. Visit http://www.yourdiabetescure.com and learn more about your solution for diabetes.